Google and Facebook’s Battle Over the Future of Tech

Titan Aerospace is a small tech startup founded in 2012, employing just 20 people. A few months ago Facebook tried to buy it for a reputed US$60 million. What does Titan Aerospace do? For the past two years, it has been developing unmanned, solar-powered aircraft drones that will theoretically be able to fly for years in the Earth’s upper atmosphere without ever landing. Google was also interested in Titan, and eventually was able to acquire it in April this year for an undisclosed amount. Meanwhile, Facebook opted to buy another drone maker, the UK-based Ascenta, for US$20 million.

But just what does a social media leader and a search engine giant want with a company that makes aircraft drones?